December 2019 news
President’s insights
Our President, Dan Twelker,OD, shares his insights on a recent visit he made to El Salvador where he participated in a local clinic and met officers of our partner FUDEM and of the school of optometry at the Universidad de El Salvador.

Read more here


Dr. J. Daniel Twelker, President of VOSH/International, donates a Heine Diagnostic Kit (donated by Heine Optotechnik) to the Universidad de El Salvador (UES) faculty member Optometrist Liliana de Murcia and School of Optometry Director Paul Rivera, PhD.
Important reading: Report on the impact of uncorrected vision and education
On UN's International Day of People with Disabilities, EYElliance announced the release of the World Bank report called:   “ Looking Ahead: Visual Impairment and School Eye Health Programs ” as part of its series,  The Price of Exclusion, Disability and Education.   
 
The report includes an in-depth analysis of the impact uncorrected vision impairment has on enrolment in school, primary school completion, performance in school, and literacy.  “Ensuring that children with visual impairment have the same opportunities to go to school and learn as other children is essential to reduce learning poverty, which is the inability to read and understand a simple text at age 10 ,” said Quentin Wodon, World Bank lead economist and co-author of the study. “ A simple and low-cost solution for most children with visual impairment is to provide eyeglasses through school eye health programmes.”
 
The report concludes that  the cost of school eye health programs are relatively low and should be affordable for many governments and therefore a priority for achieving inclusive education. 
 
The whole report is available here .
Improving your web presence-Offer for VOSH and SVOSH chapters
About 85% of the VOSH chapters do not have a website.  As a growing network endorsing a common mission and vision, it is important that we present a consistent global message and encourage trust and confidence in the quality of services that our chapters provide: free, quality eye care to those who cannot afford or do not have access to it. Think of your website is a potential generator of revenue, PR, and partnerships, which are key to help you deliver the services we are so proud of.
 
If your chapter does not have a professional website or if it has been stagnant for years, here is an opportunity to adopt a ready-made, inexpensive professional website. As a VOSH or SVOSH chapter in good standing, you can have a professional website with personalized pages specific to your individual chapter, including your chapter logo, your leadership contacts page, your chapter news (photos, trips, reports, fundraisers, etc), your donation page, your chapter’s donors and sponsors and can link it to your social media platforms. It will also have a tab for V/I so your viewers will have access to all V/I’s resources too.  

Read details of this unique offer here
VOSH/International wins XOVA grant
This year, 134 non-profit eye health initiatives from 35 countries were submitted to the eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award ( XOVA ). Ten winners that aligned most with XOVA’s mission to have a significant impact in unmet needs in the fields of ophthalmology and optometry were selected by an independent panel of experts. The proposal presented by our President, J Dan Twelker on behalf of VOSH/international, was among the winners. 

This award will help us raise awareness of Rigid Gas Permeable lenses among Ghana’s optometrists at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology ( KNUST ) to promote a more financially sound means of addressing widespread visual impairment issues in Ghana, while also offering a potentially more hygienic alternative to soft lenses.
IAPB Webminar on Advancing access to vision-related assistive technology 
This is a very interesting webminar facilitated by IAPB on vision-related Assistive Technology.

You can watch the video here:
Christmas shopping? Consider giving VOSH/International T-shirts, mugs and pins
A new stock of beautiful VOSH/International T-shirts, mugs and pins are available at our online shop.

Make your orders at: http://vosh.org/donate/vosh-shop/
Nuggets of information from our chapters
VOSH-Quebec Santa Cruz found that in their clinics to Mexico and other countries in the south, patients often asked for plano sunglasses. This chapter ordered 40 cents UV clips on so they can offer patients sunglasses that go over their eyeglasses. Do you have similar experience? Are you interested to know more?
Please contact: Pierre Labine pierre.labine@sympatico.ca
Giving the gift of sight
Thanks for your support in 2019